O-ring service kit



July 20, 1965 H. H. SENTER O-RING SERVICE KIT 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FiledD60. 5, 1962 INVENTOR. fiaeozo A4 iswrse BY M July 20, 1965 H. H. SENTERU-RING SERVICE KIT 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 5, 1962 INVENTOR. A neomA. SEA/7E2 Y B v42? United States Patent Ofiice dlllfijll? Patented July20, 1965 3,195,717 Q-RENG SERVEEE Kill Harold H. Senter, Los Angeles,Calif., assignor to Plastic and Rubber Products Company, Los Angeles,Calif., a cor-aeration of ilaiifornia Filed Dec. 5, B62, Ser. No.242,439 '7 (Iiaims. (till. 2-06-16) This invention relates generally tocontainers of the type which are commonly referred to as service kitsand are used to hold articles for storage or display. The inventionrelates, more particularly, to an improved serv ice kit for containing agraduated series of O-rings of dilferent sizes.

Persons engaged in both the sale and use of G-rings frequently find itnecessary or desirable to maintain on hand a large supply of G-rings ofdifferent sizes. There is, therefore, a demand for a practical andinexpensive container for holding a supply of O-rings of different sizesin an organized fashion so that an Q-ring of a particular size may bereadily selected from the container. In the case of persons engaged inselling O-rings, it is further desirable that a storage container beconstructed in such a way that it may be used also to display the ringsto potential purchasers. A container of this type is commonly referredto as a service kit.

A general object of the present invention is to provide an improvedservice kit for containing a graduated series of O-rings of diiferentsizes in such manner that the different sized O-rings contained withinthe kit, and their respective dimensions, are readily visible.

Another object of the invention is to provide an O- ring service kit ofthe character described in which the O-rings are supported so as topreserve their proper circular configuration and diameter.

A further object of the invention is to provide an O- ring service kitof the character described which is relatively simple in construction,inexpensive to manufacture, pleasing in appearance, lightweight, andotherwise uniquely constructed and arranged to optimally fulfill itsintended functions.

Other objects, advantages, and features of the inven tion will becomereadily apparent to those skilled in the art as the descriptionproceeds.

Briefly, the objects of the invention are attained by providing anO-ring container, or service kit, which may be conveniently made as atwo-piece, molded plastic structure including a base and a hinged cover.On the base are a series of upright, cylindrical posts of differentdiameters corresponding to the internal diameters of the O-rings to becontained in the kit. These cylindrical posts are also grouped as to thecross-sectional dimension of the (i-rings. Each post is proportioned sothat its respective size of O-ring has a light slip fit on the post,whereby each post preserves the normal circular shape and diameter ofthe O-rin s positioned thereon. The number of posts of each diameter andthe axial length or height of the posts is determined in accordance withthe number of G-rings of each size to be contained in the kit, whichnumber, in turn, may be determined by the number of O-rings of each sizethat a typical purchaser of the kit finds convenient to have on hand.

The service kit is uniquely constructed so that when the cover of thekit is closed on the base, the cover serves to retain the G-rings ontheir respective supporting posts. According to one aspect of theinvention, for example, this is accomplished by so proportioning theparts of the kit that the cover engages the upper end faces of theposts, or is spaced from such upper end faces a distance less than thecross-sectional diameter of the O-rings on the respective posts, whenthe cover is closed.

In accordance with a further aspect and preferred practice of theinvention, however, some of the O-ring supporting posts, which aredesigned to hold O-rings of the more frequently used sizes, such asO-rings of very small diameter, extend from the ends of other supportinggosts which are designed to hold O-rings of larger diameters. In thiscase, the cover of the service kit retains the O-rings on the smalldiameter posts nearest the cover. The cover is further provided with atleast one holddown, and preferably two holddowns, adapted to retain the0- rings on the larger diameter posts nearest the base of the servicekit.

According to the preferred method of fabrication of the service kit, thebase and cover of the kit each com prises a single, integral moldedstructure. It will become evident as the description proceeds, however,that the 1 resent improved O-ring service kit may be made in other ways.

A presently preferred embodiment of the invention will now be describedby reference to the attached drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the present O-ring service kit with itscover closed;

FIG. 2 illustrates the kit, empty of O-rings, with its cover open;

HG. 3 is an enlarged plan View of a portion of the base of the kit;

PEG. 4 is an enlarged section taken on line 44 in FIG. 2;

P18. 5 is an enlarged section taken on line 55 in PEG. 2; and

FIG. 6 is an enlarged view looking in the direction of arrow 6 in PEG.5.

The O-ring kit ll) illustrated in these drawings comprises a containerstructure 112 including a base 14 and a hinged cover in. According tothe preferred practice of the invention, the base 14 is a one-piecemolded plastic member which is configured to define the variousstructural elements hereinafter described in connection with the base.Similarly, cover 16 is also preferably a one-piece molded plastic memberwhich is configured to define the various structural elementshereinafter described in connection with the cover. It will becomeevident to those skilled in the art as the description proceeds,however, that the container structure 12 of the present D-ring kit maybe made in other way". C0nceivably, for example, the various structuralelements which are included on the base and cover members could beseparately fabricated and then attached in some convenient way to theirrespective members.

Referring now to the base 14 in detail, the latter will be seen to havea flat bottom wall 18, the peripheral edge portion of which is reducedin thickness, as shown, to form a ledge fall along the front edge 22 andside edges 24!- of the wall. Rising from the rear edge of the wall 18 isa rear wall 25. Joined to the bottom wall 18 adjacent its side edges 24and to the ends of the rear wall 26, and extending forwardly from therear wall, are beveled, gusset-like wall sections 23. These sectionsreinforce the rear wall against lateral deflection.

M sing from the bottom wall 18 of the base 14 are a multiplicity ofcylindrical O-ring supporting posts which have been collectivelydesignated by the reference numeral 39. The O-rings R to be contained inthe present 0-ing kit ill are stacked one over the other on these postsin the manner shown in the drawings. As mentioned earlier, and as isevident from the drawings, the present O-ring kit it) is designed tocontain or hold a supply of O-r ngs R having a graduated series ofdifferent diameters grouped as to similar O ring cross-sectionaldimension. According to the preferred practice of the invention, theO-ring supporting posts are provided with different diameterscorresponding, respectively, to the diiferent internal diameters of theO-rings to be contained in the kit. In the drawings, for example, thepost 3% has the smallest diameter and is designed to hold the smallestsized O-rings R contained in the kit. The remaining posts, up to thelargest diameter post 3%, have progressively increasing diameters andare designed to hold O-rings of progressively increasing diameter ingroupings of similar cross section, as shown.

According to the preferred practice of the invention,

each O-ring supporting post is diametrically sized to receive itsrespective size of O-rings witha light slip fit such that the rings arenot stretched, at least to any appreciable extent, when placed on theposts. In this way, the posts aid in preserving the correct diameter andnormal circular shape of the O-rings in the kit.

It is quite obvious that O-ring requirements vary from one O-ringpurchaser or user to another. One purchaser, for example, may not haveany need at all for some O-ring sizes which are required by otherpurchasers. It is equally obvious that each kit cannot possibly beindividually filled with just the correct numbers and sizes of O-ringsto fulfill the requirements of each individual purchaser of the kit. I

For this reason, the present invention contemplates O-ring kits whichare tailored to difierent classes of purchasers and equipped with theproper numbers and sizes of O-rings to satisfy the O-ring requirementsof the average purchasers of the respective classes. The O-ring servicekit 10 illustrated in the drawings, for example, is tailored to satisfythe average O-ring requirements of a class of O-ring purchaser who usesO-rings thatvary in external diameter from one-quarter to one inch. Oncethe numbers and sizes of O-rings to be contained in a particular classof service kit are determined, of course, the numbers and diameters ofthe O-ring supporting posts required to hold the O-rings can bedetermined.

' It is evident that the O-ring storage capacity of the present O-ringservice kit 1% can be varied by varying the number and/ or axial lengthof the posts. According to the preferred practice of the invention, eachpost is axially dimensioned so that it is slightly longer than theoverall length of the stack of O-rings to be initially placed on thepost. Referring to FIGS. 2 and 4, it will be observed that one group Siiof the O-ring supporting posts 39 is of substantially the same lengthand each post in this group has a uniform diameter. The reason for thisequal length of the posts in group 3% will be explained shortly.,Sufiice it, to say at this point that the posts in group 30', inaddition to being axially dimensioned in relation to the stack ofO-rings initially placed thereon in the manner explained above, are of alength slightly less than the desired overall thickness of the O-ringkit with the cover 16 closed, as will be hereinafter explained in moredetail.

The remaining group 30" of O-ring supporting posts is composed of thesmallest diameter posts and the largest diameter posts, as shown. Eachsmaller post'in post group 30" is shorter than the posts of group 30'and extends from the end of a larger post which is also shorter than theposts of group 3%. The reason for making the smallest and largestdiameter O-ring supporting posts of group 30" shorter than the posts ofgroup 34) is that in the class of O-ring purchaser for which theillustrated kit is tailored, these sizes of O-rings are less frequentlyused than the sizes of O-rings which are placed on the posts of group30' and, therefone, need not be provided in such large quantity as thelatter rings. Placing the short, smallest diameter posts on the short,largest diameter posts, of course, permits the hast- 14 to be madesmaller,

and, thereby, the kit as a whole to be made more compact,

than if all of the post were placed directly on the bottom wall 18 ofthe base. I

It will be observed in FIG. 4 that the overall length of each post pairin group 30", that is to say, each post pair consisting of a short smalldiameter post and its respec- 4- tive short large diameter post, issubstantially equal to the length of the longer posts in group as. Thereason for this will be explained presently.

Reference is now made to cover 16 of the present O-ring service kit 1%.Cover 16 will be seen to comprise a flat top wall 32, a front wall 3along the forward edge of the top wall, a rear wall 36 along the rearedge of the top wall, and side walls 38 along opposite side edges of thetop wall and joined to the front and rear walls 34 and 36. When thecover 16 is in its closed position, the lower edge of the rear coverwall 36 is disposed in close proximity to, or abuts, the upper edge of.the rear base wall 26. In this position of the cover, the lower edges ofthe front wall 34 and sidewalls 38 of the cover rest on the ledge 2%about the edge of the base. Cover 16 is pivotally connected to the base,for swinging between its closed position of FIG. 5 and its open positionof FIG. 2, by hinges ll? on the rear walls 2t5 and as of the base andcover, respectively. While any convenient type of hinges may be employedfor this purpose, hinges as have been illustrated as comprisingcooperating hinge parts 42 and 44 which aremolded integrally with andproject from the rear surfaces of the rear base wall 26 and the rearcover wall 36, respectively. As may be best observed in FIG. 1, the rearedges of the cover side walls 33 are beveled at 46 to complement thebeveled forward edges of the rear base wall gussets 28 when the cover isclosed.' in this closed position of the cover, the beveled cover sidewall edges 46 are disposed in close proximity to or abut the opposingbeveled edges of the gufsscts.

It is desirable,'though not essential, that the cover 16, when in itsclosed position on the base 14, be latched to the base. 'Any convenientreleasable latch means, such as that illustrated at 48, may be employedfor this purpose. The illustrated latch, for example, comprisescooperating latch parts integrally molded with the cover and base.

Referring now to FIGS. 4 and 5, it will be observed that the O-ringsupporting posts 3% are so axially dimensioned with respect to thespacing between the bottom wall 18 of the base 14 and the top wall 32 ofthe cover 1o that when the latter occupies its closed position on thebase, the top cover wall 32 is disposed in close proximity'to the upperends of all of the O-ring supporting posts 30. In this way, the O-r-ingson the posts of uniform diameter in the post group 30' as well as theO-rings on the short, upper, small diameter posts in the post group 30"are restrained against slipping ofi their respective supporting postswhen the cover 16 of the kit is closed. Thus, the O-r-ings R on theposts just referred to 'will remain on the posts regardless of theposition occupied by the O-ring kit 10. 7

According to the invention, the O-rings R on the short, lower, largerdiameter posts in the post group Sill" are retained on these posts byholddown pins 50 depending from the underside of the cover top wall 32.In the preferred practice of the invention, a pair of holddowns 59 areassociated with each of the lower posts in post group 30" and arearranged to straddle the respective lower post in a direction parallelto the pivot axis of the cover, as may be. observed best in FIG. 4. Thelower ends of the holddowns 5i) have been illustrated as terminatingapproximately in the plane of the end faces of the respective lowerposts. When the cover 16 of the kit 10 is closed on the base 14,therefore, a pair of holddowns 50 are disposed opposite the upper end ofthestack of O-rings R on each lower post in post group 30" and serve toretain the O-rings on these latter posts regardless of the positionoccupied by the O-ring kit Fill. It will be obvious that while twoholddowns 54 have been illustrated for each lower post, only oneholddown, or more than two holddowns, could conceivably be employed. Theabove-described arrangement of the present 0- ring kit, whereby theO-rings R contained in the kit are restrained against slipping olf theirsupporting posts 30 when the cover 16 of the kit is closed, constitutesa highly unique and important feature of the invention. Thus, it will beevident that if the O-r-ings were not thus retained on the post, therings could easily slip off of the posts if the kit were inverted. Thiswould obviously result in a jumbled mass of O-rings of difierent sizesin the kit.

The sizes of the O-rings on each supporting post 30 may, if desired, beidentified by a suitable legend on the end face of the post. Also, ifdesired, the kit may be color coded by making the posts 30 which supportrings of the same size of the same color and the posts which supportO-rings of difierent sizes of different color. This color coding of theO-ring kit not only facilitates selection of an O-ring of the desiredsize but also renders the O-ring kit extremely pleasing in appearancesuch that it may be used to advantage either as a sales kit by an O-ringsalesman or as a convenient storage container by the O-ring purchaser oruser.

As indicated earlier, an additional advantage of the present O-ring kitconfiguration is that the O-ring supporting posts 30, beingdiametrically dimensioned to receive the O-rings with a light .slip fit,serve to preserve the normal circular shape and proper diameter of the0- rings placed thereon. A further adavntage of this configuration, alsoas mentioned earlier, resides in the fact that a substantial reductionin the overall size of the O- ring kit is effected by placing the short,small diameter posts in post group 30" on the ends of the respectiveshort, large diameter posts.

Various possible alternative designs of the present 0'- ring service kitwill immediately present themselves to those skilled in the art. It isquite evident, for example, that all of the posts 30, both those in thepost group 30 and those in the post group 36", may be placed directly onbase wall 18 and be made of substantially the same height, in which casethe top panel 32 of the cover 16 would serve to retain the O-rings onall of the O-ring supporting posts. As already indicated, of course, thenumbers and the diameters of the several different sized O-ringsupporting posts included in the kit may be varied, as desired, inaccordance with the numbers and sizes of O-rings to be contained in thekit.

Clearly, therefore, the invention hereinbefore described and illustratedis fully capable of attaining the several objects and advantagespreliminarily set forth.

Various modifications in the design and arrangement of parts of theinvention, in addition to those mentioned earlier, are possible withinthe spirit and scope of the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. An O-ring service kit comprising:

a container including a base having a bottom wall and a cover for saidbase having a top wall which is disposed in spaced, opposing relation tosaid bottom wall when said cover occupies its closed position on saidbase;

a normally upright O-ring supporting post rising from said bottom wallfor receiving O-rings;

the normally upper end of said post being spaced a distance from saidtop wall when said cover occupies its closed position;

at least one O-ring removably positioned on said post;

and

a holddown depending from the normally underside of said cover top wallin a position such that the normally lower end of said holddown islaterally offset slightly from the upper end of said post and disposedto engage the O-ring on said post when said cover is closed and theO-ring is positioned adjacent the upper end of said post, thereby toretain the O-ring on said post.

2. An O-ring service kit comprising:

a container including a base having a bottom wall and a cover for saidbase having a top wall which is disposed in spaced, opposing relation tosaid bottom wall when said cover occupies its closed position on saidbase;

a normally upright O-ring supporting post rising from said bottom wallfor receiving O-rings;

the normally upper end of said post being spaced a distance from saidtop wall when said cover occupies its closed position;

at least one O-ring removably positioned on said post;

and

a pair of spaced holddowns depending from the normally underside of saidcover top wall in positions to straddle the normally upper end of saidpost when said cover occupies said closed position, thereby to retainsaid O-ring on said post.

3. An O-ring service kit comprising:

a container including a base having a bottom wall and a cover for saidbase having a top wall which is disposed in spaced, opposing relation tosaid bottom wall When said cover occupies its closed position on saidbase;

means hinging said cover on said base for swinging of said cover about ahinging axis between said closed position and an open position withrespect to said base;

a normally upright O-ring supporting post rising from said bottom wallfor receiving O-rings;

the normally upper end of said post being spaced a distance from saidtop wall when said cover occupies its closed position;

at least one O-ring removably positioned on said post;

and

a pair of spaced holddowns aligned in a direction parallel to saidhinging axis and depending from the normally underside of said cover topwall in positions to straddle the upper end of said post when said coveroccupies said closed position, thereby to retain said O-ring on saidpost.

4. An O-ring service kit comprising:

a base;

a first cylindrical O-ring supporting post rising from said base forreceiving O-rings;

a second cylindrical O-ring supporting post extending coaxially from theupper end of said first post for receiving O-rings;

at least one O-ring removably positioned on each post;

said second post being substantially smaller in diameter than said firstpost and the external diameter of the O-ring on said second post beingsmaller than the internal diameter of the O-ring on said first post,whereby the O-ring may be removed from and placed on said first postwithout removing the O-ring from said second post; and

each post having a uniform diameter throughout its length and beingdiametrically sized to receive its respective O-ring with a light slipfit, whereby each post aids in preserving the proper diameter andcircular shape of its respective O-ring irrespective of the position ofthe later along the corresponding post.

5. An O-ring service kit comprising:

a container including a base having a bottom wall and a cover for saidbase having a top wall which is disposed in spaced, opposing relation tosaid bottom Wali when said cover occupies its closed position on saidbase;

a first normally upright O-ring supporting post rising from said basefor receiving O-rings;

the normally upper end of said post being spaced 2. distance from saidtop wall when said cover occupies said closed position;

a second post extending axially from the upper end of said first postfor receiving O-rings;

at least one O-ring removably positioned on each post;

said second post being substantially smaller in diameter than said firstpost and the external diameter of the O-ring on said second post beingsmaller than ing:

a holddown depending from the normally underside of said cover top wallin a position such that the normally lower end of said holddown islaterally ofiset slightly from the upper end of said first post anddisposed to engage the O-ring on said first post when said cover isclosed and the latter O-ring is positioned adjacent the upper end ofsaid first post, thereby to retain the G-ring on said first post.

7. An O-ring service kit comprising:

a molded plastic container having a fiat rectangular base having a rearwall rising from its rear edge and a multiplicity of normally uprightO-ring supporting posts rising from its normally upper surface;

a cover including a rectangular top wall, side walls along opposite sideedges of the top wall, and front and rear walls along the front and rearedges, respectively, of the top wall;

means hinging said rear cover Wall on said rear base Wall for swingingof said cover about an axis parallel to said rear edges between an openposition wherein said base is exposed and a closed position wherein saidcover top wall is disposed over and spaced from said base and said coverside and front walls seat at their lower edges against the base;

releasable latch means to lock said cover in said closed position;

a plurality of first, normally upright posts rising from said base overwhich O-rings are adapted to be placed; 7

a plurality of second, normally upright posts rising from said base overwhich O-rings are adapted to be placed;

the normally upper ends of said second posts being spaced a distancefrom said top wall when said cover occupies said closed position;

a third, normally upright post extending from the upper end of eachsecond post over which O-rings are adapted to be placed and having asmaller diameter than its respective second post;

O-rings on said posts; t p A said first posts and third poststerminating substantially in acomrnon plane and being disposed in closeproxirhity 'to' said top wall when said cover is closed, such that theO-rings are retained on said first and third posts by said cover whenthe latter is closed;

a holddown for each second post depending from the normally underside ofsaid cover top wall in a position such that the normally lower end ofeach holddown is laterally offset slightly from the normally upper'endof its'respective second post and is'disposed to' engage the upperO-ring on its respective second post when said cover is closed, wherebysaid holddowns retain the O-rings on said second posts;

and

said posts having difierent-diameters corresponding to the internaldiameters, respectively, of different sized O-rings and beingdiametrically sized to receive their respective O-rings with a slip fit,whereby said posts aid in preserving the original diameter and circularshape of the O-rings on the posts.

' References tilted by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 10/53Palczewski 206l2 243,479 6/81 Ware 2061 7 2,058,800 10/36 Jasper 20612,472,449 6/49 Rosen 206-45.13 2,498,757 2/50 High --20645.34 2,538,924"11/51 Steam 2061 2,547,991 4/51 7 Witbrod 206-1 2,597,377 5/52 Robinson206- 2,645,334 7/53 Aldridge g 20645.34 2,807,355 9/57 Shiffman 20645.22,877,779 3/59 Bromberg 2061 2,903,873 9/59 Brogdon 2061 2,998,205 6/61Barlow 206 16 3,023,923 3/62 Geib 220-31 3,106,602 10/63 Hartz s 220-317 a FOREIGN PATENTS 7 572,553 1/58 Italy. 313,972 7/56 Switzerland.

THERON E. CONDQN, Primary Examiner. GEORGE o. RALsToN, Examiner.

7. AN O-RING SERVICE KIT COMPRISING: A MOLDED PLASTIC CONTAINER HAVING AFLAT RECTANGULAR BASE HAVING A REAR WALL RISING FROM ITS REAR EDGE AND AMULTIPLICITY OF NORMALLY UPRIGH O-RING SUPPORTING POSTS RISING FROM ITSNORMALLY UPPER SURFACE; A COVER INCLUDING A RECTANGULAR TOP WALL, SIDEWALLS ALONG OPPOSITE SIDE EDGES OF THE TOP WALL, AND FRONT AND REARWALLS ALONG THE FRONT AND REAR EDGES, RESPECTIVELY, OF THE TOP WALL;MEANS HINGING SAID REAR COVER WALL ON SAID REAR BASE WALL FOR SWINGINGOF SAID COVER ABOUT AN AXIS PARALLEL TO SAID REAR EDGES BETWEEN AN OPENPOSITION WHEREIN SAID BASE IS EXPOSED AND A CLOSED POSITION WHEREIN SAIDCOVER TOP WALL IS DISPOSED OVER AND SPACED FROM SAID BASE AND SAID COVERSIDE AND FRONT WALLS SEAT AT THEIR LOWER EDGES AGAINST THE BASE;RELEASABLE LATCH MEANS TO LOCK SAID COVER IN SAID CLOSED POSITION; APLURALITY OF FIRST, NORMALLY UPRIGHT POSTS RISING FROM SAID BASE OVERWHICH O-RINGS ARE ADAPTED TO BE PLACED; A PLURALITY OF SECOND, NORMALLYUPRIGHT POSTS RISING FROM SAID BASE OVER WHICH O-RINGS ARE ADAPTED TO BEPLACED; THE NORMALLY UPPER ENDS OF SAID SECOND POSTS BEING SPACED ADISTANCE FROM SAID TOP WALL WHEN SAID COVER OCCUPIES SAID CLOSEDPOSITION; A THIRD, NORMALLY UPRIGHT POST EXTENDING FROM THE UPPER END OFEACH SECOND POST OVER WHICH O-RINGS ARE ADAPTED TO BE PLACED AND HAVINGA SMALLER DIAMETER THAN ITS RESPECTIVE SECOND POST; O-RINGS ON SAIDPOSTS; SAID FIRST POSTS AND THIRD POSTS TERMINATING SUBSTANTIALLY IN ACOMMON PLANE AND BEING DISPOSED IN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO SAID TOP WALL WHENSAID COVER IS CLOSED, SUCH THAT THE O-RINGS ARE RETAINED ON SAID FIRSTAND THIRD POST BY SAID COVER WHEN THE LATTER IS CLOSED; A HOLDDOWN FOREACH SECOND POST DEPENDING FROM THE NORMALLY UNDERSIDE OF SAID COVER TOPWALL IN A POSITION SUCH THAT THE NORMALLY LOWER END OF EACH HOLDDOWN ISLATERALLY OFFSET SLIGHTLY FROM THE NORMALLY UPPER END OF ITS RESPECTIVESECND POST AND IS DISPOSED TO ENGAGE THE UPPER O-RING ON ITS RESPECTIVESECOND POST WHEN SAID COVER IS CLOSED, WHEREBY SAID HOLDDOWNS RETAIN THEO-RINGS ON SAID SECOND POSTS; AND SAID POSTS HAVING DIFFERENT DIAMETERSCORRESPONDING TO THE INTERNAL DIAMETERS, RESPECTIVELY, OF DIFFERENTSIZED O-RINGS AND BEING DIAMETRICALLY SIZED TO RECEIVE THEIR RESPECTIVEO-RINGS WITH A SLIP FIT, WHEREBY SAID POSTS AID IN PRESERVING THEORIGINAL DIAMETER AND CIRCULAR SHAPE OF THE O-RINGS ON THE POSTS.